Wildfire burning out of control near Port Alberni reaches 20 hectares
A wildfire that has been burning out of control on Vancouver Island since Sunday morning is now estimated to cover approximately 20 hectares of dense forest near Port Alberni.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Cameron Bluffs fire was discovered around 6 a.m. Sunday when it measured less than half a hectare on the southern shore of Cameron Lake.
By Monday the fire had grown to 20 hectares, with eight firefighters and one helicopter attacking the blaze in the steep terrain.
The wildfire service says the fire is highly visible from Highway 4. The agency urged drivers to use caution and focus on the road when travelling through the area.
"There is no threat to the highway or Cameron Lake resort areas," the agency said in an online update on the fire situation.
"Boaters on Cameron Lake should stay clear of helicopter bucketing dip sites. The CPR trail remains open at this time."
Provincial wildfire officials say the fire is believed to be human-caused.
Meanwhile, a 208-hectare wildfire, the largest of the season for B.C.'s coastal region, continues to burn near Sayward on northern Vancouver Island.
The wildfire service says the Newcastle Creek fire is currently being held five kilometres west of Sayward and no evacuation orders are expected.
The agency says 84 fires were actively burning in the province Monday, with 24 fires considered out of control.
Forty-two of the current fires are suspected to have been caused by lightning, 33 are believed to have been caused by people and nine are of unknown origin, according to the agency.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.